General characteristics of effective speed enforcement

The general characteristics of traffic law enforcement, as discussed previously, can easily be translated to the specific domain of speed enforcement.

The most important requirement for speed enforcement is that it deters drivers from speeding; not only those drivers that have been apprehended for a speeding violation, but even more so, those who have not. This is called general deterrence. General deterrence is closely related to the risk of being caught as subjectively perceived by a driver. This subjective risk of apprehension can not only be increased by stepping up the intensity of actual speed enforcement, but also by making sure that, independent of the exact enforcement method, the speed enforcement activities are well-publicised, unpredictable and unavoidable, and sustained over a longer period of time.

Furthermore, for a maximum effect, it is advisable to focus the speed enforcement operations on roads, situations, and times where speeding is considered to have the largest effect on the road safety level. Ideally, the enforcement operations are based on a thorough analysis of crashes and the role of speeding therein.